ST. LOUIS - The University of Northern Iowa volleyball team was picked to finish third in the Missouri Valley Conference preseason coaches poll Thursday morning.

Missouri State received four more points than the Panthers and was picked to finish second. Defending champion Wichita State was picked to repeat after going undefeated a year ago.

The league's coaches also named UNI's lone senior Shannon Aschoff to the eight-person preseason All-Conference team on Thursday. Aschoff earned second team All-Conference honors last season with 3.02 kills and 2.46 digs per set.

UNI is coming off a 25-9 season where it earned the school's first at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament. It was the team's third consecutive NCAA appearance and ninth in the last 11 seasons. The Panthers return four starters and their libero from a year ago.

2009 MVC Volleyball Preseason Poll

First place votes in parenthesis

1. Wichita State (9) 99, 2. Missouri State (1) 87, 3. UNI 83, 4. Creighton 67, 5. Southern Illinois 49, 6. Evansville 47, 7. Illinois State 42, 8. Drake 33, 9. Bradley 24, 10. Indiana State 19.

MVC Preseason All-Conference

Shannon Aschoff (UNI) OH, sr.; Cara Hackman (Missouri State) OH/DS, jr.; Mary Elizabeth Hooper (Wichita State) S, so.; Jessica Houts (Creighton) MB, sr.; Sarah McGee (Wichita State) MB, jr.; Calli Norman (Missouri State) MB, so.; Peggy Riessen (Illinois State) OH, sr.; Emily Stockman (Wichita State) OH sr.